Universal truths and the messages of love, compassion, understanding, fairness, and forgiveness inherent in our belief systems have come to us in many forms—not just in a religious setting or through their formal texts.

Throughout history people have been inspired to teach, write, and sing about universal truths and the basic principles the Masters taught.

Many are still comforted and inspired by the writings of Ste. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross from the 15th century, Shakespeare from the 16th century, the poets Rumi from the 13th century and Walt Whitman from the 19th century, and yogi Sri Ramana Maharshi in the 20th century.

Songwriters like Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Neil Young, and Bono have encoured us to call for a more loving and peaceful world.

Most of the messages of the younger musicians of today embrace concepts of love, acceptance, fairness, freedom, and empowerment, like Katy Perry telling us in “Firework” to get out from under and let our light shine.

Whether through books or for the screen, we have also been given food for thought encouraging us to look at things in a new light, let go of fears surrounding new ideas, or to help us see our erroneous ways.

Although most of the stories regarding extra-terrestrials have an aggressive slant, the 2016 film “Arrival” gave us a more mature and realistic way of looking at our relationship with the extra-terrestrials.

In one of the original Star Trek episodes the Enterprise lands on a less evolved planet because of malfunctions and it needing repairs. Although the ship was hidden in a large cave and the crew thought they would be undetected, some of the planet’s inhabitants stumbled upon them.

The people became enthralled with the visitors and all they could do. They started to perceive them as gods, and eventually fought among themselves over how much adulation and power to give the so-called gods. This episode helped sensitize viewers to what we are now discovering concerning some of whom we ourselves may have erroneously considered to be gods.

In an episode of one of the earlier seasons of the television series, Game of Thrones, Catelyn Stark speaks of how she now understands that the hate she always held for her husband’s illegitimate child brought about the tragedies which befell her family. She had connected the dots between what she put out into the world and what came back to her.

When we put hate out into the world hate and its qualities come back to us.

When we put love and its qualities out into the world love comes back to us.

Although the concepts of the Law of Attraction are now a commonly understood tenet among spiritual seekers, seeing Catelyn make this connection may have inspired those not aware of it to further explore what she meant and possibly examining their own attitudes.

I believe there is more than a superficial reason for the cult followings of musicians, writers, and shows such as these. While entertaining, they address, explain, and even guide us to a new perception of many of the issues we have had, or now face—from both an individual and societal perspective.

Those of us not involved with any formal spiritual or religious group have gotten their intended messages indirectly through people who are inspired in many different ways to move and enlighten us.

Coming from within that surge of peace and love energy of the ‘60s, how can one listen to John Lennon’s “Imagine” and not see how he was inspired to encourage us towards bringing about a world of love and peace. It may have taken another half century, but we are now making concrete efforts to bring his plea about.

People have always been sent to us to keep the spark of hope alive – that love, compassion, understanding, fairness, forgiveness, and any other quality that is an expression of love that we can dream of is possible. Today, that spark is being fueled with every thought or action that uplifts others.

This article/blog post is an expanded excerpt from my book Your Journey to Peace … Book Synopsis is foundhere

https://yourjourneytopeace.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Image-article-blue-sky-and-solar-system.jpg480534Rosemaryhttps://yourjourneytopeace.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Rosemary-logo.pngRosemary2018-02-23 18:43:482018-03-02 17:23:10Universal Truths and the Masters Messages Come to Us in Many Ways

While most intimate relationships may be based on love and a commitment to enjoy life together, it is quite natural to experience conflicts.

We each hold distinct character traits and come from unique backgrounds and experiences. If we do not respect the differences these engender or allow space for expression, conflicts will develop.

Our intimate relationships bring with them many wonderful opportunities for joy and happiness. The companionship. Someone to share our passions with. Experiencing the myriad of life’s pleasures together. Creating a family or the bringing of families together.

However, because of the closeness of our intimate relationships, they can bring us face to face with misalignments from our True Self and the unconditional love it holds. All issues and conflicts are a result of this disconnect from this love inherent within us, but that is latent.

Connected to the unconditional love within, we respond calmly rather than react aggressively, or submissively, to what might otherwise feel as an affront. We do not need to be right, validated, or to prove ourselves worthy. We communicate with others in calm, respective, and compassionate ways because this connection allows for a sense of peacefulness within our being.

Disconnected from the unconditional love within, we may be aggressive, defensive, or controlling, and we may be driven by neediness. These will surely show up as issues or conflicts with our partner.

(This article/blog post is based on concepts in my book Your Journey to Peace, Bridging the Gap Between Religion, Spirituality, Psychology, and Science. Book Synopsis is found here).

Neediness causes push-and-pull scenarios. The needy one will want too much from their partner emotionally causing him or her to pull away. He or she will then become more demanding causing the other to pull away even further. Conflicts and hurt feelings will surely ensue.

We may have a deep-set fear of intimacy. Of being vulnerable. Of loss. Our intimate relationships usually challenge us to address these, as the highest purpose of our relationships is to bring out our fears – so that we can heal them.

Unhealed fears keep us living in mediocrity and on the surface level of our emotions. This keeps us distanced from our True Self and from the joy and true contentment it holds.

Coming up against our fears can cause us to behave in various ways within the relationship. Protective devices we put up create walls distancing us emotionally from our partner. Communication wanes. We may react with anger, aggression, or attempt to control the other or the situation. Or, we may become passive and further internalize whatever fear has surfaced without addressing it.

So there are many opportunities within our intimate relationships for one or both parties to feel hurt, misunderstood, or emotionally drained. These will create conflicts, and left unaddressed the issues can cause not only much frustration and unhappiness, they may well result in a break-down of the relationship.

People are only ever trying to get their needs met (whether they are real or perceived needs this is how the person feels at the moment) and these play out most easily in our couple relationships.

Like two out of control trains barreling toward each other on the same track,

couples often smash into each other just trying to get their needs met.

Differences that Often Create Conflict Actually Add Value

We are inclined to try to have our partners think, act, and feel the way we do. However, making a partnership work involves accepting our differences and embracing the qualities that each brings to the table.

Admittedly, this is easier said than done. Once the honeymoon phase is over and real life sets in, seeing the positive aspects of the other often goes by the wayside. As with everything else in life, we have to consciously focus on the positive. When we do this, we give the positive aspects of the other a fertile place to grow.

Along with our fears and defensiveness, our differences, idiosyncrasies, and various ways of navigating life that show up in our relationships can be a breeding ground for conflict – unless we deal with them calmly, honestly, and with understanding.

Any neediness, agendas, or protective mechanisms we put on the other will follows us until we deal with them. The highest purpose of our close relationships is to heal any misalignments we may hold.

A Course in Miracles considers any relationship where we get to work out and make peace with what comes up a “holy relationship.” Acknowledging, addressing, and overcoming what keeps us from being aligned with our True Self is a holy, sacred undertaking.

It is by working through any negative reactions or defensiveness that come up when in contact with others that helps us connect to our True Self. We then feel peaceful within our self.

Looking past our differences with others brings us closer to acknowledging the Oneness we all share. We then feel peace with others.

We often marry or choose partners with opposite personalities, but with many qualities we like and appreciate. However, what we like is only part of his or her personality make-up.

For example, the person who is organized and gets the bills paid may annoy us by being more focused on money, organization, or routine than we like.

Or, we might be partnered up with someone who is more spontaneous than we are and who brings excitement to the family, but their inability to keep to schedules may irritate us.

We are attracted to and partner up with another for many of the reasons I mentioned above, but also for practical every day ones. It may be to help and support each other in family or work life, or to balance each other out in practical ways. Bills need to be paid and budgets adhered to or chaos ensues. Spontaneity keeps things alive and fun.

We can choose to focus on the positive aspects of our partner and praise them for the valuable qualities he or she brings to the partnership, or we can berate our spouse for the aspects of his or her personality that annoy us.

It is easiest to be accepting of our partner when we can see the differences as a blessing, recognizing that as he or she navigates life differently than we do it adds value to our relationship.

Instead of seeing our differences as sources of conflict, we can see them as sources of healing. Making peace with and accepting the differences we share with our significant other brings self-healing, moves us closer to our wholeness, and helps us grow spiritually. And it creates more harmony in our life and around us.

Couples and Their Misalignments

All our relationships are opportunities to heal, grow spiritually, and become our Best Self. Our intimate relationships are the perfect vehicle for this healing because we are usually relating to someone with different backgrounds, character traits, and misalignments from their True Self.

Everyday life provides us many opportunities to make peace with whatever presents itself that causes negative reactions in us, whether outwardly or inwardly.

We can make peace with how the other person is behaving. We can make an effort to be patient and understanding.

We can attempt to understand the basis for any negative reaction we have had. And we have to forgive our self for how we may have behaved.

From time to time most of us default to some attitudes or behaviors that come from being misaligned from the unconditional love inherent, but often latent, within us. Attempting to forgive and make peace with the differences we have with others moves us closer to embracing that unconditioal love.

Couples with Similar Percentages of Misalignment.

We usually pair up with another person who shares a similar percentage of misalignment from his or her True Self as we do. These misalignments can show up as completely different issues or they may complement each other.

For example, one partner may be inclined toward anger and the other is judgmental. One may be controlling while the other succumbs to victimization.

Until we understand that the highest purpose of our relationships is to help us unearth and heal our misalignments, these different ways of being will bring conflicts into our relationships – unless we are an easy-going person able to find peace with every situation.

An angry, aggressive, controlling person who projects all this onto their partner must understand that their need to control is hurting the other, as well as the relationship.

If the aggressor truly wants their partner to be happy and to have a harmonious relationship, he or she must attempt to change and/or to work on the root cause. Finding their calm center will not only benefit their partner it will benefit them too.

Similarly, a submissive partner’s healing lies in the recognition of his or her passivity. They too must attempt to understand the root cause and work to find their own power-base.

When both parties understand what is happening and are willing to work together to figure out solutions, barriers breakdown, individual healing begins, conflicts start to abate, and the relationship will improve.

Couples with a Disproportionate Percentage of Misalignment

While most couples may have a similar percentage of misalignments, some people may find themselves partnered with someone who has a disproportionate amount of misalignment to them. This, however, is the exception.

When this happens, the one living more in tune with his or her True Self is meant to hold the light for the other to see what alignment looks like, what they can eventually aim for, how to feel at peace with them self, and what it takes to create a peaceful, loving, and harmonious relationship.

The one with the less percent of misalignment does not usually engage in or pursue conflict, nor live in a reactionary state. This usually causes much frustration for the one living from a negative Default Position as they usually have many Protective Mechanisms at play.

The reactive partner is often very frustrated with the peacemaker. They feel that cajoling, pushing, and demanding is the best way to go about life. And when others refuse to engage they are further angered. When questioned they often resort to defensive tactics.

They believe pushing against things is being empowered and see their partner’s easy-going attitude or non-aggressive approach as weak.

They are wrong, because pushing against life only allows for more frustrations and brings more conflict and push-backs into our sphere – as the Law of Attraction dictates. (See my posts on the Universal Laws on my blog. Link is below)

This article/blog post is an expanded excerpt from chapter 5, “Relationships” in my book Your Journey to Peace … Synopsis is found is found here

At this time of our evolution we are all awakening to the truth of who we are, the truth of who our brothers and sisters on the Planet we share are, and are starting to embrace the concrete changes all this brings with it.

We are all primed to become the best and most empowered expressions of ourselves, and this will bring with it powerful changes that will benefit all of us and effect the trajectory of humanity. While it may not be apparent in all areas of our world today, most of us are ready to embrace our shared connection to the Oneness we emanated from and extend its inherent qualities to others.

We are starting to manifest what will bring about a safe, fair, and egalitarian world, where everyone feels empowered, has what they need to survive and thrive, and is free to live in alignment with their soul’s desires.

The children of those born since the enlightenment era of the ’60s, especially those birthed from within the bubble of energy following the ’87 Harmonic Convergence, simply expect a peaceful, just, and equitable world, and they are here to help us firmly grasp the ideas of compassion, fairness, acceptance, and equality necessary to bring it about. In fact, they are demanding it!

Just like with every new generation, the young people of today have shown up here on earth more enlightened than the last one. The confidence and inner-knowledge that comes with this allows them to outright reject any attitude or action that hints of unfairness, greed, inequality, prejudice, or cruelty that have been so ingrained in our world.

(This article/blog post is based on concepts in my book Your Journey to Peace, Bridging the Gap Between Religion, Spirituality, Psychology, and Science. Book Synopsis is found here).

They don’t accept that people should be used or abused by others, taken advantage of or bullied by business or the government, or be talked down to by educators or the religious hierarchy. They embrace ideas that align with practices that help our Planet thrive, and they are encouraging us to listen to the Indigenous people regarding our beautiful home.

They do not buy into the illusions of past generations and therefore are not in denial of the consequences of their or others’ actions. The popular saying “teach your children well” should be followed by “and heed their wisdom.” The young generation of today are starting to and will continue to be the strong leaders who will fearlessly usher in this new, brighter era we now seeing glimpses of.

Most of us now understand it is more beneficial to work with others in relationship: personally, professionally, and for the betterment of our communities and the planet. People all over the world are joining together to help others in need and to assist individuals or groups who have been marginalized to find their empowerment.

Those within different cultures, religions, and races will start to work together. Almost fifteen years ago in the Alpha DVD series (basically a Christianity 101), Nicky Gumbel suggested it was time for the different branches of Christianity to work together and focus on their similarities. That is a good start, and they have to a large degree, but we still need to aim higher.

To bring about the loving, peaceful world we all want, just as we have to reconcile our differences with those in our families and people around us to have peaceful lives, we have to make peace with the differences between the various religions – instead of focusing on their differences or trying to prove which one is better.

Many of us have feared to speak up and talk about the way we feel about the world around us – but no longer. Our future will not include following the societal rules put down by those living in a different time and with stringent ideals and selfish agendas. However, those past rules have had their consequences and the repercussions will not disappear overnight.

Reconciling Our Present Realities While Creating a Better Future

While we aim to create better lives for ourselves and a better world, we must also acknowledge and work within the present realities.

As we build confidence in ourselves to feel and give love and treat others fairly, we will feel empowered enough to make decisions that create harmony and only positively affect our families, communities, and the world around us.

We will start to embrace the concept of “the good of the all, rather than the good of the few,” and our actions will align with and reflect this precept.

As we will have the awareness to connect the dots between our actions, their outcomes, and the repercussions they could have on others, we will make conscious choices that will not generate negative consequences.

Ripple Effects of Dysfunctions and Past Actions Take Time to Disappear

Whether in our personal lives, regarding others, our communities, or the environment once we become aware of and change our personal dysfunctional behaviors or negative attitudes toward others or actions that harm our Planet, we will still see the ripple effects for a while. The repercussions will not fade away immediately.

Shifts we make regarding our individual or family issues will not always bring about huge immediate changes. It takes time for decades of dysfunctional behavior to heal once we shift our attitudes, for the effects of a lifetime of unhealthy habits to abate, or for years of irresponsible spending to turn into financial balance.

Even when we become aware of and change unfair or prejudice attitudes toward others, the fall-out from years or even centuries of injustness takes time to heal, as the ripple effects often pass down through the generations.

And urgent as it is to get the processes going, changes we make toward our environment and the Planet will not bring about many immediate results.

We now have the understanding of how to create a better life for ourselves, more open and loving relationships within our families, and a fairer and more egalitarian world. However, we must not get discouraged when we don’t see huge or instantaneous outcomes for our efforts. Recognizing and appreciating any small positive shift is what will keep the momentum going.

This article/blog post is an amended excerpt from my book,Your Journey to Peace, Bridging the Gap Between Religion, Spirituality, Psychology, and Science. “Book Synopsis” is found here

https://yourjourneytopeace.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Image-08663683.jpg13001228Rosemaryhttps://yourjourneytopeace.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Rosemary-logo.pngRosemary2018-02-05 16:21:392018-03-22 14:01:06We Are at The Pinnacle of Our Personal, Collective and Planetary Evolution